Tuesday, January 12, 2016

A Scot Goes Pop reader found this Tory leaflet dropped through her letterbox in Upper Largo last night, beseeching her to cast her regional list vote for Ruth Davidson. Upper Largo is in the Mid-Scotland and Fife electoral region. Ruth Davidson is standing as a regional list candidate in Lothian. Mind you, she's currently a Glasgow MSP, so perhaps her chicken run is leaving her army of leafletters feeling a little befuddled. It's a bit like the joke in Doctor Who -

"Oh I do love the spring. All the leaves...colours...""It's October.""I thought you said we were coming here for May Week.""I did. May Week's in June.""I'm confused.""So was the TARDIS."

Interesting also that the Tories are using their intolerance of any internal dissent on independence as a selling point. I thought uniformity of opinion was supposed to be one of the many, many things that make the SNP bad?

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At the weekend, Juliet Swann and I were tentatively talking about the possibility of publicly debating each other on the issue of "tactical voting on the list", possibly via live stream. I know next to nothing about live streaming, though, and I see that the most popular platform is far from being free to use. If anyone has any suggestions about how the idea can best be taken forward, feel free to drop me a line.

Raise taxes? On whom? If Scotland raises the upper rate, the lower rate must be raised by the same percentage. that's what the unionist parties argued for, that's what we are being given.The only Tories I see in competition are the red and blue variety, as Mr Corbyn is finding out, as the backstabbing careerists seek to destroy his tenure as leader.

Exasperating troll. You've had the income tax limitations explained to you over and over again. Also, knock off the Nazi gibberish - it's not winning anyone over and makes you look even more foolish than your bloody-minded repetition.

I received one from Glasgow working Class's party today myself and I am in Leith. I phoned the Tory offices to ask them when the second referendum was going to be and of course they said they didn't know so I asked them why they were putting this out and if Wee Ruthie was a clairvoyant as she seems to be the only person who does know and I also mentioned that she also knew the result of some of the referendum constituencies for example Livingstone even before they boxes had been counted the Tories of course just hung up which is what I expected from the party that Glasgow working class is a member off. I will give him/her since it hides behind such a inane moniker a prediction the SNP will get more votes and seats than his three Tory parties put together.

Exasperating troll. You've had the income tax limitations explained to you over and over again. Also, knock off the Nazi gibberish - it's not winning anyone over and makes you look even more foolish than your bloody-minded repetition.

I got one in NE Fife as well - but they're being delivered by Royal Mail, not Tory leafletters. The Tories literally do not have the footsoldiers in NE Fife to deliver anything by hand, so are throwing money at Davidson's campaign by asking voters in N E Fife to give her their list vote when she's standing on the Lothian list!

And a platform. Independence Live presumably pay a hefty fee to use that platform. But I'll suggest to Juliet that we could approach Independence Live and see if they're interested. That may be what she had in mind anyway.

"Nat sis" - You just stamped yourself right there as one of the thick-as-shit-in-a-bottle useful idiots who are all that support Unionism in Scotland now. Unionism, with its one token MP apiece for the three parties of Union is dead as a political force in Scotland - pretty much like the space between your ears, 'Glasgow Working Class' (working class, my arse).

From experience elsewhere GWC is probably a unionist of the Rangers persuasion. That's where we usually hear their kind of non argument. We should check out his knees to see if they drip.As for Ruthie, I can't see her making much progress. I received the same leaflet in helensburgh. The aim is for the Norn iron political structure. Tomkins shares the Rangers yoon party approach. It's going to get interesting but I still think they'll be third.

Sulky, I do not or never will vote for either Scottish Tory/Tartan Tory Parties. Goodness me the SNP were the sorry no pape party not so long ago until they rebranded themselves. Ye cannae kid an auld yin like me who still has memory of the Nat sis.

This is exactly Ruth's problem and the unionist problem in general; they are badly divided. Can't really stand each other. You won't get a unionist leftie voting Tory and a true blue Tory won't vote Labour as a result.

If we take off the Nationalist blinkers and remember who they are trying to target and get votes from, this leaflet makes perfect sense. Ruth is liked more than her party. They want to steal other unuonist party voters for whom the constitution remains a big issue.

When "Alex Salmond for First Minister" was used it was in slightly different circumstances but the general idea was the same - capitalise on name recognition of the party figurehead to stop leakage of list vote from those who (still) dont understand how the regional vote works.

Its not about making people think Ruth, or in that case, Alex, were standing in their region. But as its a party vote its emphasing that a vote in Greenock on the region is as important as one in Eastwood, say.

If people think Ruth is best placed to argue for the union or stand up to Sturgeon, then playing on name recognition may help get a few extra Labour/Lib Dems to cross that divide.

Seems pretty straightforward and obvious strategy to me. Obviously we're all slagging it off because its not intended to work for us and never could.

"When "Alex Salmond for First Minister" was used it was in slightly different circumstances but the general idea was the same"

No, not really, because it wasn't dishonest. The point the SNP were making was that if you want an SNP government and Alex Salmond as First Minister, the way to get it is to vote SNP on the list. That Tory leaflet is clearly implying that Ruth Davidson is a regional list candidate. That's true in Lothian. It's not true in Upper Largo. Or in Grantown-on-Spey. Or in East Renfrewshire. Or in South Ayrshire. Or in Caithness. Or in Peeblesshire.

I guarantee there are lots of voters out there who won't know that RuthDavidson is not on the regional list for their area. Ask any one in the street who is on their regional list for any party and the majority wouldnt be able to tell you. Lots dont even know what their region is! At the moment I have no idea which conservatives are standing in my region.

Don't be so bloody ridiculous. The SNP didn't "vote for Thatcher". They voted to bring the general election forward by a few weeks, and then the people of England voted for Thatcher. It's YOU guys who voted to give England the right to decide Scotland's government, remember?

Translation : "Yes, James, you're correct. The SNP merely voted to bring the 1979 general election forward by a few weeks, and then the people of England voted for Thatcher, as they would have done whenever the election had been held."

The SNP did not vote for Thatcher in 79, as you well know, read Dennis Healey's book, it'll show you it was the Labour party destroying it's self (the more things change, the made they stay the same), that led to the vote of no confidence. With a large section of Labour's own MPs voting the government down.

That old tartan Tory schtick, was always a Labour lie, which has been blown out of the water many times, now Labour are the defacto red Tories.

No, but they know what a Tory is. Pretending your progressive because your gay while voting down gay marriage and ranting like demented buffoons about Britain will fool no-one but a few young middle-class hipsters. Which is already their core vote.

I think the tories will grab some votes from the Labour right - people dissatisfied with the Corbyn 'let's all eat veggie sandwiches and be nice to each other' view of the world. At the same time, that message will have attracted back some SNP and Green supporters to Labour. I think the polling pretty much bears this out.

Neo liberalism is a pejorative term for capitalism with checks and balances - the economic system that has made us rich and has no equal anywhere in the world historically or in modern times. People who use the expression 'neo liberalism' think it would be jolly good fun to have strikes, hyperinflation, recession and IMF bailouts instead (under socialism)

I am feeling a tad left out, not had this leaflet, had quite a few for my MSP who is standing down at the next election, in fact she should never had stood in the first place. I have no idea who Labour are putting forward but I think it might have a different result.

So how come the right wing nat si party are in power? They will not nationalise our trains and buses stolen by the Tories. They support NATO and the monarchy. They will not raise taxes or unfreeze the council tax. How right wing is that then auld yin.

Tell me David, why is it that the healthy, fit, successful people living in nice areas are more likely to vote conservative? Do they vote conservative because they are successful or are they successful because of the attitudes that make them want to vote conservative (self reliance, thrift etc?).

In any case, Scotland voted to remain in a union dominated by a right wing conservative party and a centrist labour party. We also more often than not agree with the English when surveyed on issues, rather than politics.

It seems the right in Scotland is far larger than simply tory voters + UKIP voters. It seems you even have some in your own party - unless you think all those rural SNP voters are actually big fans of socialism.

Latest polling shows tories on 16% on both ballots, David (and that isn't even considering UKIP, who could get 2 or 3%). Roughly a fifth of the country are openly right wing.

The others are hiding in Labour, the Lib Dems and, yes, even your own party - the SNP. How else would you account for strong SNP areas being also strongly NO in the referendum?

Yes, the SNP might be in the ascendency - but Holyrood and local government in Scotland are elected using PR. This keeps the unionists (and the tories) in the game, even if the SNP does tower above the 2nd placed party. As for Westminster, well, 56 out of 650? You can't do much with that - especially with the tories in power with an absolute majority. Trident, benefit cuts, military action will continue to sail through against tokenistic opposition.

Really, your position isn't all that great and over the next 5 years can only deteriorate.

Received one in Berwickshire, South of Scotland. Bit of a laugh if people trot out to the polls in May and can't find Ruthie's name on the ballot paper. Wonder who they will vote for then.

Pundits say Lamont will hold his seat here against Paul Wheelhouse, but in politics nothing can be taken for granted, especially given that it wasn't Lamont that took the seat from LibDem Michael Moore, but Calum Kerr for the SNP. Lamont is said to have been damaged by the failure, given the make-up and strength of the Tories in this seat.

Lamont had plenty money for that campaign, but Ruthie's leaflet was delivered by Royal Mail, so perhaps funds aren't so good for his Holyrood campaign. The leaflet, if you can read the white on apricot small print (it should be mandatory for all such info to be easily read) was sent out by the Scottish Tories and at this time does not count towards election expenditure. Maybe trying to promote Ruthie as an alternative to First Minister Nicola as she even wears a red jacket (like Nicola's) in the leaflet.

James, if people in the SNP were to campaign for the union, they'd be kicked out the party and - if serving in an elected post - deselected. And, although I don't like the SNP, that would be right and proper. It's a nationalist party.

The Conservative and Unionist Party, on the other hand, is a unionist party. It even says it in the title. So anyone campaigning for indy must similarly be shown the door.

And yet, they don't believe ( on the most part) in the European Union. They are allowed to be "separatist and narrow nationalist" for that referendum.

The Scottish Tory Party only got about 15% of the vote in Scotland-----their opinions should therefore not be worth bothering about----except they rule us from the south of England, where they stand as an ersatz English Nationalist Party.

I suppose Adolf thought some people's opinions were not worth bothering about. And we are not ruled from the south we are a democracy in which your fellow nat si MP'S enjoy a very good salary for talking pish.

Yes, Hitler did think a lot of opinions were not worth bothering. Funnily enough, he thought right-wing conservative opinion was worth bothering about since he was a massive right-wing conservative. Likewise he had no time for minority parties and called them all sorts of names all day and night.

The opinions of Conservatives are worth bothering about. They formed a decisive bloc in the Scottish independence referendum. Had the tories voted yes - or even had their support fragmented along yes/no lines similar to other parties - the yes vote would have carried the day.

So, yes, a 15% bloc does require consideration. In any organisation badly split and with myriad subgroups and interests, 15% can hold quite a lot of sway.

Hitler and Stalin were both incredibly authoritarian and statist. Hitler commandeered German industry and forced people into slave labour. And, yes - he even called himself a 'socialist' (National Socialist).

This is anathema to right wing libertarians who cherish economic and personal freedom above all else. From their point of view, socialism and fascism are much the same thing - some jumped up little b telling you how you should live your life.

Glasgow Working class get a grip! I suppose that Labour are suppose to be on the Left if by what you've been bleating on about for Days/weeks/months is anything to go by. If you're so profound in politics tell me this, Why have the UK parliament with it's many Labour MP's abstained, voted with Tories and allowed a situation where anyone who's Scottish or Welsh now has to leave the chamber allowing Tories to push through any vote it see's fit (because they don't win seats elsewhere but it has the majority of seats) Under the guise that they are working on England's behalf but has a knock on effect on budgets and infrastructure for those nations. Isn't it OUR tax payers money too?

It's a farce that the Westminster is used for such a purpose. If the MP's in England wanted to behave in this way they should have an English only parliament building or chamber.

Reading between the lines you are a Labour man. My Father was, My Uncles and aunts all were too but they have been shambolic when they have power and more than utterly useless without it. Infighting about the leader recently aside when do you ever hear them saying that they need to be a strong opposition? NO, it's all about we need to get back to the Policies of the past that kept us in power for 10+ years. They are Tory lite abstainers.

You might feel better together but I don't, and I don't feel like we're in an equal partnership of nations pulling in the same direction.

What part did the Nat sis ever play in the class struggle for working conditions and forming the NHS. My recollection of the Nat sis pre Thatcher was them attacking Labour and the unions then voting to bring down Labour. Bloody Tartan Tories.

Sulky, Keir Hardie was radical and was Labour. I cannot think of any Nat si that was radical or did anything for the Scottish Working Class. Looks apparent that some Nat sis have sidelines! like the other parties.

Ever heard of RB Cunningham Grahame? He was the first socialist MP in Britain, co-founded the Labour Party then almost immediately left to form the National Party of Scotland because he couldn't see a viable path to socialism within the British state. See also Jimmy Reid, Jim Sillars et al. It's certainly true that the SNP historically has had a right wing and one or two of the "free, protestant Scotland" comments from years gone by are a nasty stain on the party's record, but the "Tartan Tories" thing is an absolute myth. The SNP was producing clearly left wing/social democratic manifestos from the early '70s onward.

It's a real tragedy that the history of Scotland's largest party is so unknown. The fact that it is so is a dreadful indictment on Scottish historians. But then, until very recently you probably didn't get the best jobs or the good publishing deals if people knew you were "one of them." It's only too obvious how the British media and British elites want to malign the SNP in any way they can.

Kenny - great post. It is funny that the main stain on the SNP's past is not the 'Nazi sympathising' smears on Hugh MacDairmid, who was identified as a well-known communist. It was actually the orange element in the post-war period. It is strange that never really gets identified. Probably because a lot of those orangemen fell squarely behind the Tories and a couple west-coast Labour barons when they realised the SNP were not anti-catholic bigots.

jimnarlene, the funny thing is: its major Labour Party figures who have had a massive role in the SNP since its inception. Even today, you have Jim Sillars and Tommy Shephard.

Even as far back as the 1950s, there are party documents that are almost word-for-word the same as the stuff being produced by the leaders of African liberation movements.